Past Assignments This page will list all of the past assignments by date, starting with the most recent assignment. If you have missed an assignment or want to review an assignment you are in the right place!
Posted on June 4, 2009
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STORY TIME!
Hi, it's Mrs C. with your new assignment for the week! I have put a story starter in each group and I would like each of you to continue the story where the last person left off. So basicaly each group will write a story. Please use the edit this page feature for this assignment so remember to press "edit the page" and then "save" after you are finished. Please do not erase what anyone else wrote. Just continue the story after what the person before you wrote, and don't forget to write your name and date. Please write at least 3-5 sentences that continue where the story left off. Make sure that it's appropriate and makes sense with the rest of the story. Let's see how creative we can be and don't forget to include all the story elements: characters, settings, problem, events, and solution. Remember the writing traits--- ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and voice. And please don't forget to edit your writing!
If you made a mistake and erased someone else's writing, just press "cancel" and start over again. If it asks you to "save the previous draft," press "discard the previous draft."
If you have any questions, post it in the discussion area. So navigate
Posted on 5/22/09 Assignment #14- Memorial Day
We all know that it is a long weekend this weekend, which translates to no school on Monday, but do you know what holiday we are celebrating on Monday? It's Memorial Day. How much do you know about Memorial Day? Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated.Known originally as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years. It is a holiday dedicated to the memory of all people who have lost their lives during war. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in the month of May. For many, Memorial Day has also become the unofficial start of the summer season.
If you want to learn more you can click on this link to the usmemorialday.org website. Your assignment this week is to write what Memorial Day means to you and to share what your plans are for this weekend. I would like you to use the discussion feature on your group page to share your work. I'll start...
For me, Memorial Day is a time to remember all of those brave and selfless heroes who have given their lives in the ongoing fight for our freedom. Our freedom to go to school, use our computers, eat at Taco Bell and watch American Idol. My father was a Marine in the Korean War and so when I was young we would always attend the Memorial Day parade in Boston. Nowadays, I go to the parade in Monson and then have a cookout with my family and friends. Mrs. Corrieri 5/22/2009
May 16, 2009 SHAPES ALL AROUND US! Assignment #13-May 16, 2009 When you look around your world, either at home or school, virtually everywhere you go, you will find a variety of shapes surround you. As I look around my office I can see many shapes. For example, the clock is a circle, the drawers on my cabinet are squares, the table I am sitting at is a rectangle, the tiles on the floor are diamonds, the roof on the building across the street is the shape of a triangle and right here on my laptop there are sooooooooooo many different shapes- squares, circles and rectangles! Your assignment this week is to identify a minimum of at least four shapes within your home environment- inside or outdoors- and write about them. You will use the discussion feature to explain and write about these four shapes.
Extra Credit -- if you want, you could copy and paste photoson this page, of different shapes in the environment and write a brief description about the shape.
For example:
This is a stop sign and it is in the shape of a octagon.
Have fun discovering the shapes in your world! Remember to navigate to your group page and use the discussion feature to write about four shapes in your home environment. Also on this page you can use the edit feature to add photos of different shapes and write a brief sentence describing the shape. Make sure you write your name and the school you are from so you can get credit for your work!
April 24, 2009
SPACE TALK
On March 24, 2009 President Obama and school children from Washington D. C. spoke to crew members from the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station.The astronauts answered questions about what it is like to live in space and what their job is. They did say that they were able to play video games, but didn't have much free time to do that. They also said that the food in space was "pretty good" and that they no longer drink Tang (which is a powdered drink). Many of these astronauts have lived in space for several months. I think that is really, really cool! Some nights I look up at the stars and the moon and think how awesome it would be to be able to spend some time in space, or maybe even take my dog for a walk on the moon!
Did you know that Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon? He stepped foot on the moon surface on July 20, 1969. As he stepped on the moon Mr. Armstrong said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". If you want to see this historic event click on this link and it will bring you to National Geographic News where you can view a video showing him stepping on the moon. Before leaving the moon he and his fellow Astronaut, Buzz Armstrong, left an American flag and a plaque on the moon that read, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the Moon—July 1969 A.D.—We came in peace for all mankind." I found the picture below of Mr. Armstrong on the moon at Google.
Your assignment this week is to pretend that you have been given the opportunity to travel in space and spend a month on the moon being a Student Assistant to the Astronauts and helping them with their research. NASA will provide you with your clothes and meals, and of course your shuttle ride to and from the moon, but they tell you that you can only bring four personal items along with you on your trip. So your assignment this week will be to describe the four items you would bring on this adventure, and why? You might also want to mention some of the people, things and activities you would miss while on the moon. This week we will use the discussion tab feature in your groups, to write your essays. So when you're ready to write your short essay head over to your group and then click on the discussion tab to share your thoughts.
April 10, 2009
First I want to thank everyone for doing such a wonderful job with the Monster Project. Your descriptive essays were very well written and your artistic interpretation of your monsters wonderful! I did my best to put everyone's pictures in the right place, so if I made a mistake I apologize. Just email me and I will fix it! Some pictures, that were light and/or small, did not scan as well as others, so again I did the best I could.
To find your monster you will head over to the navigation area (to the left) and click on your group listed under the MONSTER PROJECT title and scroll down the page until you find your work.
Your assignment this week will be to go to all four of the Monster Group Pages and read all of the descriptive essays, making sure to look at the original and redrawn monster pictures that were submitted. You will then use the discussion feature in each of the Monster Group Pages(not just your group) to make positive comments about your classmate's work. Your comments will indicate to your teacher that you completed this assignment so be sure to leave those comments!
April 3, 2009
Well I thought it might be fun if you had a virtual pet for your wiki classroom so I have brought you this cute little hamster!! Kind of cool, don't you think? Oh yeah, I was told at the virtual pet store that the hamster is a male. There are a few things you need to know about taking care of this hamster. You can watch him run on his wheel, drink water, and eat the food you feed him by clicking your mouse when the cursor is in the cage. He loves to eat so be careul not to feed him too much! You can also click the center of the wheel to encourage him to run on his wheel. Since he didin't come with a name I think you should have a class vote to name him. Anyone who wants to add a name to the ballot please add it under "Hamster Name Ballot". Write the number, the hamster name and a brief reason why you picked that name. If someone else already picked the name you want it's ok to write it again, especially if you have different reasons for wanting the name. We will accept names to be placed on the "Hamster Name Ballot" until Thursday because then on Friday you will be voting and your hamster will have an official name!!!
The other part of this assignment is to go your Group Page, use the discussion feature and write a short essay about your family pet. Don't forget to include what type of animal your pet is, his or her name, what you like to do with your pet, etc. If you don't have a family pet you could write a short essay about your favorite animal. I have several pets. Dogs and cats and even a duck named Leo! Here's a picture of two of my dogs, Otis and Spencer.
Otis & Spencer
Aren't they just the cutest dogs EVER!!! The students at Blueberry can even ask Mrs. Pratt, she'll tell you how adorable my pets are!! Everyone have a great week and keep up the wonderful work you are doing on this wiki! I love reading your weekly news reports.
March 27, 2009
This week you will head over to your Group page and find your "Monster Partner". Go to the discussion section and read your partner's monster essay that describes what his/her monster looks like and then draw that monster. You will then bring that picture to school and give it to your teacher by Friday, April 3, 2009. Here is a list of partners.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Brandan &Seth
Josh & James
Amy & Emily
Brooke & Allison
Micaiah & Abbey
Joyce & Erica
Matt C. & Jimmy
David &B Merideth
Tim & Danny
Jill & Mary Kate
Nicole & Jessica
Evan & Harrison
Brianna & Harry
Trinity & Lauren
Kylie & Ryan
Tatyana & Olivia
Chadd & Jake
Nate & Max
Connor & Matthew
Nick & Sarah
Nolan & Nick S.
Nick G. & Duygu
March 13, 2009
Your assignment this week has two parts. First you will draw a monster. Since you will have to write a descriptive essay about your monster make sure your monster has several interesting and unique features to write about! To draw your monster you can either use an online drawing program like Crayola Digi-Color (just make sure you print it using a color printer!) or you can draw your monster using crayons, paint and/or markers. Once your monster is created you will name your monster and then write an essay describing your monster, posting your descriptive monster essay in the discussion area under monster assignment. You will need to bring your monster picture to school by Friday and give him/her to your teacher, but please try not to show your classmates the picture. Make sure your first name is on the picture. Have fun creating your monster and writing your descriptive essay!
Below is an example of a monster drawn by a student named Troy and the descriptive essay Troy wrote about his "Funny Monster".
The Original Monster drawn by Troy.
Written Description: the descriptive essay Troy wrote about the monster he created/drew. Notice how Troy used adjectives and several descriptive words to describe his monster such as "one big eye and one small eye" and "little dark blue feet".
My monster has a dark blue oval circle for a body with four light blue horizontal stripes. It has yellow ears shaped like rectangles with two orange fingers. He is wearing a pink, red, orange, yellow, yellow green, green, blue and purple clown wig. He has a yellow green mustache on his head. He has a dark green mouth. He has two white and black eyes, one big eye and one small eye. He has little dark blue feet.
*Tip- when you go to write about your monster it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas before writing your monster essay. Remember to check your spelling and write in complete sentences.
February 27, 2009
Do you know what famous author was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2,1904? Here is a clue- he wrote the famous book "The Cat in the Hat". Yes, it was Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss! Click here to read a short biography about Dr. Seuss. Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book? Perhaps the "Cat in the Hat", "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" or "Horton Hears a Who? My favorite book written by Dr. Seuss is called "The Lorax". This book was first published in 1971 and shares a very important message. Amessage that people need to take better care of the planet earth.
The story revolves around two main characters, the Once-ler who is cutting down all of the Truffula Trees to make Thneeds and the Lorax, who tries to stop him. The Once-ler is telling the story of his greed to a young boy. At the end of the story, in spite of the Lorax speaking up for the trees and the Brown Bar-ba-loots, we learn that the Once-ler had cut down all of the Truffala Trees and there is only but one Truffala Tree Seed left. As Dr. Seuss writes when the Once-ler drops the last seed into the boy's hand--
"It's a Truffula Seed. It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula.Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back."
This week's assignment is for you to read the book "The Lorax". Here is a link to the story. Just scroll down the page to read the story (if some of the text color appears to dark or lght just highlight the text to change the color.) After you read the story please write an esasy to respond to the following questions:
We know that the Lorax never wanted the Truffala Trees cut down, but do you think the Once-ler changed his mind about cutting down the Truffala Trees? Do you think at the end the Once-ler thought it was the "right thing to do"?
This book has a very important message about the need for all of us to take care of the earth. Please write about what we can do to help keep the earth safe and clean.
When you are finished with your assignment come back to this page and check out the wonderful website dedicated to Dr. Seuss called Seussville. There you will find a lot of activities and games that will teach more about this marvelous author names Dr. Seuss! Here is a link to a game called The Lorax Saves the Trees Game on the Seussville website. Head on over and see if you can save the Truffula Tree seeds!
*Tip- when you go to read "The Lorax" it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions. Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences.
February 13 & 20, 2009
February is when we celebrate Black History month. In honor of this celebration this assignment will be dedicated to helping us become more familiar with the contributions that Black Americans have made throughout history. If I were to ask you to name a famous Black person you might name President Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, or Martin Luther King, Jr., but do you know about Sarah Boone or Thomas W. Stewart? Sarah Boone, a Black woman, invented the comb and Mr. Stewart, a Black man, invented the mop. There are so many Black American who we may not be aware of, but without them, we would not have many of the things we take for granted today, such as a comb or a mop. Your assignment is to read a short essay titled, "Imagine If There Were No Black People in the World". Click here for that link. After you read the essay you will learn that the world would certainly be different without the Black people mentioned in the essay. Your writing assignment is to identify two items in the essay that were invented by a Black person and describe how your life would be different if these items were not available for you to use.
February 5, 2009 This month we will be celebrating President's Day and so your next assignment will have a Presidential theme! President Barack Obama became our 44th President on January 20, 2009. President Obama wrote and open letter to his two daughters explaining why he wanted to become President. The letter was published in The Parade Magazine on January 18, 2009. President Obama wrote, "These are the things I want for you -- to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have."
Your assignment this week is to read and then respond to President Obama's letter. First click here to read the entire letter and then answer the following question--What are your dreams and ambitions for the future and how will you achieve your goals? You might also want to mention the peolpe in your life who help and support you to reach your goals.
*Tip- when you go to read President Obama's letter it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions. Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences and to write your favorite fable at the end of your essay.
___ January 30, 2009
Do you know what a fable is? A fable is a short story that has a morale, illustrates a point or teaches a lesson. Fables typically write about animals or inanimate objects and bring them to to life, giving them human qualities. Fables usually are fun to read. Aesop’s Fables are perhaps the most well known fables. One of my favorite fables is written by John Lechner and is called The Clever Stick. Do you have a favorite favorite fable?
Your assignment this week is to read “The Clever Stick” (clicking on the link will bring you to an online version of the story). This fable is about a stick and his journey to find a way to communicate with others. After reading “The Clever Stick” your assignment will be to write what you believe the morale of this fable is. What do you think the author, John Lechner, is trying express and how do you think the stick felt once he found his “voice”.
If you do have a favorite fable, please write the name of the fable and the author at the end of your assignment. I will list everyone’s favorite fable on a separate page in the wiki!
*Tip- when you go to read the fable it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions- "what you think the morale is and how do you think the stick felt when he found his voice"? Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences and to write your favorite fable at the end of your essay.
January 23, 2009
Your first assignment is to introduce yourself to others on the wiki, using first names only.
We would like you to do this in to ways. First, you will write an Acrostic Poem (Name Poem) using the letters of your first name. An Acrostic Poem is a poem that is written using the beginning letters of a word. Click here to see some examples of Acrostic Poems that other students have written.
So, using the letters of your first name, you would write words describing yourself-- things you like to do, people in your family, pets that you might have (or want to have!), school, friends etc. Below is an example of an Acrostic Poem that a student named Rick wrote about himself. Riding my bike Ice cream Christmas Kelly is my sister
Once you have written your Acrostic Poem we would like you then to expand on the words in your poem and write a short essay describing the words in your poem. Below is what Rick wrote for his essay, using the words in his Acrostic poem. Notice that he used the words (highlighted in the essay) from the Acrostic poem when writing his essay.
My name is Rick and I live with my mom and dad and my little sister Kelly. We have a dog named Toby and a hamster named Sue. I go to Washington Street school and I have lots of friends at school. I like math class the best because Mr. J. is a really cool teacher. My favorite food is pizza, macaroni and cheese and ice cream. I like riding my bike on my street with my friends, Tad, Ryan, Patrick and Joe. We like to skateboard, play hockey and make legos, too. I like Christmas because I got lots of computer games and more legos.
Now it's time for you to navigate to your Group page and write your Acrostic Poem and essay.
Past Assignments This page will list all of the past assignments by date, starting with the most recent assignment. If you have missed an assignment or want to review an assignment you are in the right place!
Posted on June 4, 2009
STORY TIME!
Hi, it's Mrs C. with your new assignment for the week! I have put a story starter in each group and I would like each of you to continue the story where the last person left off. So basicaly each group will write a story. Please use the edit this page feature for this assignment so remember to press "edit the page" and then "save" after you are finished. Please do not erase what anyone else wrote. Just continue the story after what the person before you wrote, and don't forget to write your name and date. Please write at least 3-5 sentences that continue where the story left off. Make sure that it's appropriate and makes sense with the rest of the story. Let's see how creative we can be and don't forget to include all the story elements: characters, settings, problem, events, and solution. Remember the writing traits--- ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and voice. And please don't forget to edit your writing!
If you made a mistake and erased someone else's writing, just press "cancel" and start over again. If it asks you to "save the previous draft," press "discard the previous draft."
If you have any questions, post it in the discussion area. So navigate
Posted on 5/22/09
Assignment #14- Memorial Day
We all know that it is a long weekend this weekend, which translates to no school on Monday, but do you know what holiday we are celebrating on Monday? It's Memorial Day. How much do you know about Memorial Day?
Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated.Known originally as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years. It is a holiday dedicated to the memory of all people who have lost their lives during war. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in the month of May. For many, Memorial Day has also become the unofficial start of the summer season.
If you want to learn more you can click on this link to the usmemorialday.org website. Your assignment this week is to write what Memorial Day means to you and to share what your plans are for this weekend. I would like you to use the discussion feature on your group page to share your work. I'll start...
For me, Memorial Day is a time to remember all of those brave and selfless heroes who have given their lives in the ongoing fight for our freedom. Our freedom to go to school, use our computers, eat at Taco Bell and watch American Idol. My father was a Marine in the Korean War and so when I was young we would always attend the Memorial Day parade in Boston. Nowadays, I go to the parade in Monson and then have a cookout with my family and friends. Mrs. Corrieri 5/22/2009
May 16, 2009
SHAPES ALL AROUND US!
When you look around your world, either at home or school, virtually everywhere you go, you will find a variety of shapes surround you. As I look around my office I can see many shapes. For example, the clock is a circle, the drawers on my cabinet are squares, the table I am sitting at is a rectangle, the tiles on the floor are diamonds, the roof on the building across the street is the shape of a triangle and right here on my laptop there are sooooooooooo many different shapes- squares, circles and rectangles!
Your assignment this week is to identify a minimum of at least four shapes within your home environment- inside or outdoors- and write about them. You will use the discussion feature to explain and write about these four shapes.
Extra Credit -- if you want, you could copy and paste photos on this page, of different shapes in the environment and write a brief description about the shape.
For example:
Have fun discovering the shapes in your world! Remember to navigate to your group page and use the discussion feature to write about four shapes in your home environment. Also on this page you can use the edit feature to add photos of different shapes and write a brief sentence describing the shape. Make sure you write your name and the school you are from so you can get credit for your work!
April 24, 2009
SPACE TALK
On March 24, 2009 President Obama and school children from Washington D. C. spoke to crew members from the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station.The astronauts answered questions about what it is like to live in space and what their job is. They did say that they were able to play video games, but didn't have much free time to do that. They also said that the food in space was "pretty good" and that they no longer drink Tang (which is a powdered drink). Many of these astronauts have lived in space for several months. I think that is really, really cool! Some nights I look up at the stars and the moon and think how awesome it would be to be able to spend some time in space, or maybe even take my dog for a walk on the moon!Did you know that Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon? He stepped foot on the moon surface on July 20, 1969. As he stepped on the moon Mr. Armstrong said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". If you want to see this historic event click on this link and it will bring you to National Geographic News where you can view a video showing him stepping on the moon. Before leaving the moon he and his fellow Astronaut, Buzz Armstrong, left an American flag and a plaque on the moon that read, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the Moon—July 1969 A.D.—We came in peace for all mankind." I found the picture below of Mr. Armstrong on the moon at Google.
Your assignment this week is to pretend that you have been given the opportunity to travel in space and spend a month on the moon being a Student Assistant to the Astronauts and helping them with their research. NASA will provide you with your clothes and meals, and of course your shuttle ride to and from the moon, but they tell you that you can only bring four personal items along with you on your trip. So your assignment this week will be to describe the four items you would bring on this adventure, and why? You might also want to mention some of the people, things and activities you would miss while on the moon. This week we will use the discussion tab feature in your groups, to write your essays. So when you're ready to write your short essay head over to your group and then click on the discussion tab to share your thoughts.
References: Fox News, The Washington Post, Yahoo News
April 10, 2009
First I want to thank everyone for doing such a wonderful job with the Monster Project. Your descriptive essays were very well written and your artistic interpretation of your monsters wonderful! I did my best to put everyone's pictures in the right place, so if I made a mistake I apologize. Just email me and I will fix it! Some pictures, that were light and/or small, did not scan as well as others, so again I did the best I could.
To find your monster you will head over to the navigation area (to the left) and click on your group listed under the MONSTER PROJECT title and scroll down the page until you find your work.
Your assignment this week will be to go to all four of the Monster Group Pages and read all of the descriptive essays, making sure to look at the original and redrawn monster pictures that were submitted. You will then use the discussion feature in each of the Monster Group Pages (not just your group) to make positive comments about your classmate's work. Your comments will indicate to your teacher that you completed this assignment so be sure to leave those comments!
April 3, 2009
Well I thought it might be fun if you had a virtual pet for your wiki classroom so I have brought you this cute little hamster!! Kind of cool, don't you think? Oh yeah, I was told at the virtual pet store that the hamster is a male. There are a few things you need to know about taking care of this hamster. You can watch him run on his wheel, drink water, and eat the food you feed him by clicking your mouse when the cursor is in the cage. He loves to eat so be careul not to feed him too much! You can also click the center of the wheel to encourage him to run on his wheel. Since he didin't come with a name I think you should have a class vote to name him. Anyone who wants to add a name to the ballot please add it under "Hamster Name Ballot". Write the number, the hamster name and a brief reason why you picked that name. If someone else already picked the name you want it's ok to write it again, especially if you have different reasons for wanting the name. We will accept names to be placed on the "Hamster Name Ballot" until Thursday because then on Friday you will be voting and your hamster will have an official name!!!
The other part of this assignment is to go your Group Page, use the discussion feature and write a short essay about your family pet. Don't forget to include what type of animal your pet is, his or her name, what you like to do with your pet, etc. If you don't have a family pet you could write a short essay about your favorite animal. I have several pets. Dogs and cats and even a duck named Leo! Here's a picture of two of my dogs, Otis and Spencer.
March 27, 2009
This week you will head over to your Group page and find your "Monster Partner". Go to the discussion section and read your partner's monster essay that describes what his/her monster looks like and then draw that monster. You will then bring that picture to school and give it to your teacher by Friday, April 3, 2009. Here is a list of partners.
March 13, 2009
Your assignment this week has two parts. First you will draw a monster. Since you will have to write a descriptive essay about your monster make sure your monster has several interesting and unique features to write about! To draw your monster you can either use an online drawing program like Crayola Digi-Color (just make sure you print it using a color printer!) or you can draw your monster using crayons, paint and/or markers. Once your monster is created you will name your monster and then write an essay describing your monster, posting your descriptive monster essay in the discussion area under monster assignment. You will need to bring your monster picture to school by Friday and give him/her to your teacher, but please try not to show your classmates the picture. Make sure your first name is on the picture. Have fun creating your monster and writing your descriptive essay!
Below is an example of a monster drawn by a student named Troy and the descriptive essay Troy wrote about his "Funny Monster".
The Original Monster drawn by Troy.
Written Description: the descriptive essay Troy wrote about the monster he created/drew. Notice how Troy used adjectives and several descriptive words to describe his monster such as "one big eye and one small eye" and "little dark blue feet".
My monster has a dark blue oval circle for a body with four light blue horizontal stripes. It has yellow ears shaped like rectangles with two orange fingers. He is wearing a pink, red, orange, yellow, yellow green, green, blue and purple clown wig. He has a yellow green mustache on his head. He has a dark green mouth. He has two white and black eyes, one big eye and one small eye. He has little dark blue feet.
*Tip- when you go to write about your monster it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas before writing your monster essay. Remember to check your spelling and write in complete sentences.
February 27, 2009
Do you know what famous author was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2,1904? Here is a clue- he wrote the famous book "The Cat in the Hat". Yes, it was Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss! Click here to read a short biography about Dr. Seuss. Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book? Perhaps the "Cat in the Hat", "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" or "Horton Hears a Who? My favorite book written by Dr. Seuss is called "The Lorax". This book was first published in 1971 and shares a very important message. Amessage that people need to take better care of the planet earth.The story revolves around two main characters, the Once-ler who is cutting down all of the Truffula Trees to make Thneeds and the Lorax, who tries to stop him. The Once-ler is telling the story of his greed to a young boy. At the end of the story, in spite of the Lorax speaking up for the trees and the Brown Bar-ba-loots, we learn that the Once-ler had cut down all of the Truffala Trees and there is only but one Truffala Tree Seed left. As Dr. Seuss writes when the Once-ler drops the last seed into the boy's hand--
"It's a Truffula Seed.
It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula.Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back."
This week's assignment is for you to read the book "The Lorax". Here is a link to the story. Just scroll down the page to read the story (if some of the text color appears to dark or lght just highlight the text to change the color.) After you read the story please write an esasy to respond to the following questions:
We know that the Lorax never wanted the Truffala Trees cut down, but do you think the Once-ler changed his mind about cutting down the Truffala Trees? Do you think at the end the Once-ler thought it was the "right thing to do"?
This book has a very important message about the need for all of us to take care of the earth. Please write about what we can do to help keep the earth safe and clean.
When you are finished with your assignment come back to this page and check out the wonderful website dedicated to Dr. Seuss called Seussville. There you will find a lot of activities and games that will teach more about this marvelous author names Dr. Seuss!
Here is a link to a game called The Lorax Saves the Trees Game on the Seussville website. Head on over and see if you can save the Truffula Tree seeds!
*Tip- when you go to read "The Lorax" it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions. Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences.
February 13 & 20, 2009
February is when we celebrate Black History month. In honor of this celebration this assignment will be dedicated to helping us become more familiar with the contributions that Black Americans have made throughout history. If I were to ask you to name a famous Black person you might name President Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, or Martin Luther King, Jr., but do you know about Sarah Boone or Thomas W. Stewart? Sarah Boone, a Black woman, invented the comb and Mr. Stewart, a Black man, invented the mop. There are so many Black American who we may not be aware of, but without them, we would not have many of the things we take for granted today, such as a comb or a mop. Your assignment is to read a short essay titled, "Imagine If There Were No Black People in the World". Click here for that link. After you read the essay you will learn that the world would certainly be different without the Black people mentioned in the essay. Your writing assignment is to identify two items in the essay that were invented by a Black person and describe how your life would be different if these items were not available for you to use.
February 5, 2009This month we will be celebrating President's Day and so your next assignment will have a Presidential theme! President Barack Obama became our 44th President on January 20, 2009. President Obama wrote and open letter to his two daughters explaining why he wanted to become President. The letter was published in The Parade Magazine on January 18, 2009. President Obama wrote, "These are the things I want for you -- to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have."
Your assignment this week is to read and then respond to President Obama's letter. First click here to read the entire letter and then answer the following question--What are your dreams and ambitions for the future and how will you achieve your goals? You might also want to mention the peolpe in your life who help and support you to reach your goals.
*Tip- when you go to read President Obama's letter it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions. Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences and to write your favorite fable at the end of your essay.
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January 30, 2009
Do you know what a fable is? A fable is a short story that has a morale, illustrates a point or teaches a lesson. Fables typically write about animals or inanimate objects and bring them to to life, giving them human qualities. Fables usually are fun to read. Aesop’s Fables are perhaps the most well known fables. One of my favorite fables is written by John Lechner and is called The Clever Stick. Do you have a favorite favorite fable?
Your assignment this week is to read “The Clever Stick” (clicking on the link will bring you to an online version of the story). This fable is about a stick and his journey to find a way to communicate with others. After reading “The Clever Stick” your assignment will be to write what you believe the morale of this fable is. What do you think the author, John Lechner, is trying express and how do you think the stick felt once he found his “voice”.
If you do have a favorite fable, please write the name of the fable and the author at the end of your assignment. I will list everyone’s favorite fable on a separate page in the wiki!
*Tip- when you go to read the fable it might be helpful if you have a piece of paper and pencil to write down some of your ideas of how you will answer the questions- "what you think the morale is and how do you think the stick felt when he found his voice"? Remember to check your spelling, to write in complete sentences and to write your favorite fable at the end of your essay.
January 23, 2009
Your first assignment is to introduce yourself to others on the wiki, using first names only.
We would like you to do this in to ways. First, you will write an Acrostic Poem (Name Poem) using the letters of your first name. An Acrostic Poem is a poem that is written using the beginning letters of a word. Click here to see some examples of Acrostic Poems that other students have written.
So, using the letters of your first name, you would write words describing yourself-- things you like to do, people in your family, pets that you might have (or want to have!), school, friends etc. Below is an example of an Acrostic Poem that a student named Rick wrote about himself.
Riding my bike
Ice cream
Christmas
Kelly is my sister
Once you have written your Acrostic Poem we would like you then to expand on the words in your poem and write a short essay describing the words in your poem. Below is what Rick wrote for his essay, using the words in his Acrostic poem. Notice that he used the words (highlighted in the essay) from the Acrostic poem when writing his essay.
My name is Rick and I live with my mom and dad and my little sister Kelly. We have a dog named Toby and a hamster named Sue. I go to Washington Street school and I have lots of friends at school. I like math class the best because Mr. J. is a really cool teacher. My favorite food is pizza, macaroni and cheese and ice cream. I like riding my bike on my street with my friends, Tad, Ryan, Patrick and Joe. We like to skateboard, play hockey and make legos, too. I like Christmas because I got lots of computer games and more legos.
Now it's time for you to navigate to your Group page and write your Acrostic Poem and essay.